Meera Syal leads tributes to EastEnders actor Paul Bhattacharjee after his body is found at foot of cliffs

Meera Syal today led tributes to Casino Royale and EastEnders actor Paul Bhattacharjee after his body was found a week after he went missing.

Police identified the body of 53-year-old early yesterday after he was found at the foot of cliffs in East Sussex.

The EastEnders star, who also appeared in Casino Royale, had not been seen since leaving the Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square where he had been rehearsing for a new play last Wednesday.

Syal, who played opposite him at the Royal Shakespeare Company and in the West End last year, said:”Paul was a consummate actor and relished every opportunity and challenge. He brought a freshness to each role.

“I will miss him and always regret very much that we have been robbed of his wonderful talent and the great work he still had to produce in his career.

“I gave him a lift home a few weeks ago and he was extremely happy and in good spirits and his death is such a shock and my thoughts are with his family.”

His disappearance prompted heartfelt appeals from family and friends, with Bend It Like Beckham actress Parminder Nagra, Sex in the City star Kim Cattrall and Stephen Fry all taking to Twitter to ask for help in finding the actor.

His son Rahul Bhattacharjee-Prashar, 24, had also made a desperate plea for his father to get in contact, telling the Standard his disappearance was “completely out of character”.

He said: “Dad, wherever you are please, please get in contact. We want to know that you are okay and if anyone has seen or heard from him in the last few days please get in contact.

“Please, we are just worried sick.

“It’s completely out of character. He was doing well in his career and everything seemed to be going okay. I just don’t know what has happened.”

But it emerged that on Friday, officers from Sussex found the body at Splash Point in Seaford, East Sussex, and yesterday contacted the Metropolitan Police.

Mr Bhattacharjee, from Redbridge, north-east London, was formally identified and his next of kin told. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

Today Kulvinder Ghir, 47, who appeared alongside Mr Bhattacharjee in Much Ado about Nothing and had known him for more than 25 years, spoke of his distress at the news.

He said: “Paul’s death is shocking. There is a sense of disbelief because he had so much energy in him.

“Paul really spoke through the tremendous body of his work. He really tried to take on roles that he could work with and develop a message about.

“I remember talking to him about a play he did on Guantanamo Bay and he said it was one of best he had ever done. Even when he hurt his knee during rehearsals he never missed a performance.”

The actor had recently moved into a flat with his girlfriend Emma McKie, 23, whom he met while on stage in the West End.

Mr Ghir said: “They were a very loving couple and they seemed to have a great relationship.”

It is believed that Mr Bhattacharjee travelled to Sussex to see his mother shortly before his death.

He texted his girlfriend at 9pm the night he went missing and was not heard from since.

Tributes today poured in for the star, who began his career at Earlsfield-based theatre Tara Arts in the 1980s.

Former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella tweeted: “Thoughts, prayers, heart goes out to Paul Bhattacharjee and his family xxxx” while Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati wrote: “Just got the news, deeply saddened by Paul’s death. He will be truly missed and my respects and thoughts to his family and dear friends.”